ANA Pocket” is fully utilized! Hachijo-jima Island is an island with an area of 69.11 km2 and a population of about 6,700. The island is perfect for driving or cycling around, and there are a variety of activities throughout the year, such as swimming and outdoor activities in summer, and whale watching and star gazing in winter. In addition, the island is dotted with public open-air baths and footbaths where you can soak in a hot spring while enjoying the spectacular view. The “ANA Pocket” smartphone app automatically accumulates points based on the distance traveled by air, train, car, bicycle, and on foot, making it easy to “poikatsu” in one’s daily life. You can also earn more points by opening the app and taking the “Check-in Challenge” at each destination you visit, and use the accumulated points to draw a “no-hassle gacha” (a lucky draw) to earn more miles. The following spots were visited this time. Since ANA Haneda – Hachijojima flights operate three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening), depending on the flight you take, you can spend a full day and two days in Hachijojima and earn points and miles for sightseeing. Day 1 07:25 Haneda Airport (ANA1891)
08:20 Arrival at Hachijojima Airport ✔
09：00 ✔Rent a car and go to “Hachijo-fuji 7th station”, a spot with a spectacular view.
10:00 Visit “Hachijojima History and Folklore Museum” ✔
11:30 Lunch at “Asoko Sushi” ✔
13:00 Fishing experience with empty hands
16:00 Visit local sake brewery “Sakashita Sake Brewery” ✔
17：00 Arrival at hotel “Reed Park Resort Hachijojima” ✔
19:00 Dinner at “Liangshanpaku” for local cuisine
22:00 Star gazing at the hotel rooftop. Relax in the public bath. Day 2 09:00 Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Check out and drive to a spectacular island
12:00 Lunch at “Pizza Paradiso
14：00 Experience the traditional craft “Hachijo-ori” ✔
16:00 Shopping at Hachijojima Airport Shops
17:30 Depart Hachijojima Airport (ANA1896)
18:30 Arrival at Haneda Airport *✔ is an example of the check-in point set up for this monitoring tour.
The staff of “Japan’s most difficult airport” talks about their love for the island and their thoughts on reconstruction. It is an indispensable “lifeline” for Hachijojima. We interviewed Mr. Yasuo Shioiri, Director of All Nippon Airways’ Hachijojima Airport Office, and other staff working at the airport. Hachijo-jima Airport is located in the center of the gourd-shaped island of Hachijo-jima. It is the only airport in Japan to be classified as “Category D (Delta),” the most difficult of all the airports in Japan, according to ANA’s own airfield classification. Despite these difficult conditions, ANA’s Hachijojima route has been operated safely for 70 years without a single accident,” said Director Shioiri. He says that the strength of Hachijojima Airport lies in the fact that its staff has inherited the spirit of “ikki irumon” (putting one’s heart and soul into each and every flight), a strong commitment to safe operations that was cultivated by the predecessors. Hachijojima is a small island, and the “close, face-to-face relationship” between airport staff and passengers is also a feature of the island. This is according to Yosuke Murakawa, Deputy Manager of Hachijojima Airport Terminal Building, who is in charge of ground handling, especially local operations to cope with the special weather conditions of Hachijojima. Some islanders use the Hachijojima route to go to the hospital every morning, and “we treat our customers with a strong sense of awareness that their own relatives are riding our flights, and we carry the significance of this route for their daily lives. With such a sense of mission as a backdrop, the company has conducted meticulous operations that are unparalleled in the country. For example, when visibility suddenly changes due to “island cloudiness” (low clouds covering the entire island), a weather phenomenon unique to Hachijo-jima, the decision is made to turn back (air turnback) at ordinary airports. At Hachijojima Airport, however, ground staff drive to the end of the runway to confirm the actual wind and fog movement with their own eyes, and give specific advice to the pilot on the timing of the approach. This takes only 10 to 20 minutes. Normally, airplanes take off and land according to the airflow, but on Hachijojima, no matter what kind of wind is blowing, it is always turbulent. Of course, we can make a “go/no-go” decision based on data alone, but on Hachijojima, it is even more difficult to determine the angle of approach in bad weather, so the pilot’s operating skill is even more necessary. Therefore, it is important to provide timely information based on actual observations, along with accumulated data, basic analysis, and aviation weather information,” says Murakawa. He believes that “if we wait another 10 to 20 minutes, we have a chance to get off the island,” and while placing the highest priority on safety, he is willing to take a chance at a moment’s notice to ensure the livelihood of the islanders. I was very impressed by his emphasis that “I think we are the only company in the whole country that does this, but it is the humanistic operations that we value the most. I urge you to come to Hachijojima!” I am sure that the people of Hachijojima will be very happy to see you. But now that the island is in the process of reconstruction, it would be frustrating to have people think, “What an island,” said Yuka Iwamoto, also from the Hachijojima Airport Terminal Building, who expressed her mixed feelings about the situation. Some roads were closed due to fallen trees caused by the typhoon, hot spring facilities were shut down to conserve water even though the water supply had been restored, and restaurants were still in a mood of self-restraint, refraining from serving dinner. It is not our intention to have tourists who have come all this way see the island in a less-than-perfect state and think, “That’s a shame. Now, however, hot spring facilities and whale-watching activities are gradually reopening, and hotels are beginning to welcome tourists back. As the year comes to a close, it is likely that visitors will be able to enjoy island travel to the fullest again during the best season in the spring. When asked, “If you had to pick one thing to recommend about Hachijo-jima, what would it be? I like the ocean because I am a diver, but I would have to say the food! Iwamoto said. Everywhere I go, people treat me as if I were a child of their acquaintance, and everywhere I go, the food is delicious and fun. They treat us as if we are their children and they know us. I love that time, too. Mr. Mitsuki Angata of the same section added, “My number one is already Hachijo-fuji. The weather is often bad on Hachijojima, but on a clear day, Hachijo-fuji seen from the airport is the best! I hope you will come here to see it. The chance of a clear day is only once or twice a week, but this is a “special day,” he told us.
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